2021 Chinese Professional Baseball League season explained

32nd CPBL season
League:Chinese Professional Baseball League
Sport:Baseball
No Of Games:60 (each half season, each team)
No Of Teams:5
Tv:
Eleven Sports
Videoland Television Network
Duration:March 13 – November 21
Season:First half-season
Season Champs:CTBC Brothers
Season2:Second half-season
Season Champs2:Uni-President Lions
Finals:Taiwan Series
Finals Link:Taiwan Series
Finals Champ:CTBC Brothers
Seasonslist:List of Chinese Professional Baseball League seasons
Seasonslistnames:CPBL
Prevseason Link:2020 Chinese Professional Baseball League season
Prevseason Year:2020
Nextseason Link:2022 Chinese Professional Baseball League season
Nextseason Year:2022

The 2021 Chinese Professional Baseball League season was the 32nd season of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, with an official slogan of "United for Baseball".[1]

The re-activated Wei Chuan Dragons rejoined the major league 21 years after disbandment in 1999, marking the first time a CPBL season included more than four teams since the 2008 season. As CPBL Commissioner Wu Chih-yang termed out following the conclusion of the 2020 season, the general managers elected Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Tsai Chi-Chang as the new Commissioner.[2] [3]

The season started on March 13, with the opening game played, per tradition, by the prior season's championship series pair: the 2020 champion Uni-President Lions defeated CTBC Brothers at Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium, 10–4.[4] The season ended in late November, followed by a Taiwan Series rematch. The Brothers defeated the Lions in a four-game sweep to capture the 2021 championship.

Game play

Seeing the 0.560~0.570 coefficient of restitution (COR) of the 2020 game balls created too much of an offense-leaning game, the General Managers decided on September 24, 2020, to reduce the COR of 2021 game balls to 0.550 and raise the stitch height from 5mm to 7mm. The league hoped that this would restore the balance between pitchers and hitters, and align with balls used by neighboring KBO and NPB leagues.[5]

As COVID-19 pandemic still widespread around the world, the CDC and the League decided to retain restriction first implemented in the second half of 2020 season: the maximum attendance of the game was reduced to 78% of each stadium's seating capacity, but food and drink was allowed.[6]

League-organized pre-season games started on February 26, 2021, and ended on March 10.[7] The regular season opening game played on March 13 at Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium, with last season's champions Uni-President Lions hosting their 2020 Taiwan Series opponent the CTBC Brothers. Game #2 followed the next day with the Lions hosting the Wei Chuan Dragons at Tainan, this was the first major league game played by the Dragons since their disbandment in 1999.

Game #21 played on March 26 with the Rakuten Monkeys hosting Uni-President Lions at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium was suspended at the top of the 4th inning after one out due to poor visibility caused by dense fog. This was the first CPBL game to be suspended due to fog, and the second if included called games.[8]

The first-half season schedule was published on February 10, with second-half pending the release of 2020 Summer Olympic Baseball Final Qualifier schedule.[9] Following the finalization of the Final Olympic Baseball Qualifier schedule, which would be held between June 16 and 20 at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, the league decided on April 19 to postpone games previously scheduled on and after June 8 to later dates.[10] Due to a recent spike in domestically transmitted coronavirus cases, the league announced on May 19 that it would suspend the season as long as level-3 health alert was in effect across Taiwan.[11] [12] The league considered but decided against resuming games on June 29 without fans in attendance, despite no opposition by the Central Epidemic Command Center to the CPBL's plan.[13] The CBPL stated on July 12 that play could resume the next day, as teams had agreed to a number of preventative measures. These measures included the prohibition of fans and cheerleaders in the stadium, and a requirement for the staffs of all teams to live and remain in hotels, whether at home on the road, unless a game was being played.[14] As the COVID-19 pandemic became less severe, the league allowed a thousand fans to attend games on August 7 and 8. Starting on August 10, fans were permitted to attend games starting August 10, as stadiums were to be filled up to 25 percent capacity. Attendees were required to check in via a QR code, wear masks at all times, and submit to disinfection and body temperature checks at stadium entrances. Though cheerleaders were also permitted to return to the games, bans on musical instruments and food consumption remained in place at the time.[15] [16]

Milestones

Standings

First half standings

width = 200 Teamwidth = 40 Gwidth = 40 Wwidth = 40 Lwidth = 40 Twidth = 50 Pct.width = 40 GB
height = 35 60 35 24 1 0.593 --
height = 35 60 32 26 2 0.552 2.5
height = 35 60 303000.5005.5
height = 35 60 28 31 1 0.475 7.0
height = 35 60 22 36 2 0.379 12.5

Second half standings

width = 200 Teamwidth = 40 Gwidth = 40 Wwidth = 40 Twidth = 40 Lwidth = 50 Pct.width = 40 GB
height = 35 60 32 3 25 0.561 --
height = 35 60 31 4 25 0.554 0.5
height = 35 60 28 1 31 0.475 5.0
height = 35 60 26 3 31 0.456 6.0
height = 35 60 26 3 31 0.456 6.0

Final season standings

width = 200 Teamwidth = 40 Gwidth = 40 Wwidth = 40 Twidth = 40 Lwidth = 50 Pct.width = 40 GB
height = 35 120 66 5 49 0.574 --
height = 35 120 64 5 51 0.557 2.0
height = 35 120 56 3 61 0.479 11.0
height = 35 120 54 4 62 0.466 12.5
height = 35 120 50 3 67 0.427 17.0

Statistical leaders

Hitting

StatPlayerTeamTotal
Chu Yu-Hsien 22
Chen Chun-Hsiu 0.352
Wang Wei-Chen 159
Chu Yu-Hsien 81
Lin Li 27

Pitching

StatPlayerTeamTotal
17
1.77
187
32
Wu Chun-Wei 27

Taiwan Series

Because the first half and second-half championships were won by different teams, the 2021 Taiwan Series, a best of seven series, was played. The first-half champions, the CTBC Brothers, faced the second-half champions, the Uni-President Lions, with the first game scheduled on November 27 and the seventh game on December 5. Games after the first four will only be played if necessary. The Brothers, by having a better yearly record, earned home field advantage, hosting games 1, 2, 6, and 7 at their home field, Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium. The Lions hosted games 3 at Chengcing Lake Baseball Stadium, 4 and 5 at their home field, Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium. The series will be a rematch of the 2020 Taiwan Series which Lions won four games to three en route to their 10th Taiwan Series victory and first since 2013.This year, the Brothers swept the Lions in four games.[20]

For the second time, CPBL sold presenting sponsorship to the series. Chunghwa Telecom, which is the largest telecommunications company in Taiwan will be presenting sponsor of the Taiwan Series.This series is officially known as the 2021 Taiwan Series Presented by Chunghwa Telecom.

Rules

All regular season rules apply with the following exceptions:

Game summaries

Game 4

External links

Web site: CPBL official website . zh.

Web site: CPBL STATS News and Daily Stats About Taiwan Baseball.

Notes and References

  1. News: https://udn.com/news/story/7001/5301069. zh:中職/年度口號公布 蔡其昌解釋「團結」3層含義. zh-t. 2021-03-07. United Daily News. 陳宛晶.
  2. https://www.cpbl.com.tw/xmdoc/cont?sid=0L132506764134302815. zh:蔡其昌副院長親自拜訪吳志揚會長 雙方會晤相談甚歡. January 7, 2021. CPBL. zh-t.
  3. https://www.cpbl.com.tw/xmdoc/cont?sid=0L132506763590433897. zh:蔡其昌當選第十一屆中華職棒會長. January 19, 2021. CPBL. zh-t.
  4. http://www.cpbl.com.tw/news/view/20891.html?&news=20891 . zh:中職32新球季 3月13日象獅正面對決. February 9, 2021. CPBL. zh-t.
  5. News: https://udn.com/news/story/7001/4885573. zh:中職/彈力球再見 明年比賽用球恢復係數下修. zh-t. 2020-09-24. United Daily News. 蘇志畬.
  6. News: https://sports.ettoday.net/news/1924654. zh:中職例行賽計畫開放78% 觀眾可以飲食. 2021-02-23. zh-t. Eastern Broadcasting Company. 歐建智.
  7. News: https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20210208003943-260403?chdtv. zh:中職》官辦熱身賽賽程出爐 5隊各打8戰. 2021-02-08. China Times. zh-t. 毛琬婷.
  8. News: https://www.tsna.com.tw/tw/news/show.php?publish=3&num=38292. zh:桃園球場起大霧 猿獅大戰延賽. zh-t. Top Sporting News Agency. 鍾明. 2021-03-26. 2021-04-28. 2021-04-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210428190005/https://www.tsna.com.tw/tw/news/show.php?publish=3&num=38292. dead.
  9. News: https://udn.com/news/story/7001/5245204. zh:中職/賽程先給半套 下半季還須觀望. zh-t. 2021-02-10. United Daily News. 陳宛晶.
  10. News: https://udn.com/news/story/7001/5399047. zh:中職/配合6搶1中華隊集訓 6月賽程延後打. United Daily News. 陳宛晶. zh-t. 2021-04-19.
  11. Web site: CPBL Suspends 2021 Season Until Further Notice. May 19, 2021. May 19, 2021.
  12. News: Hsieh . Ching-wen . Ko Lin . CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan's baseball league postpones 11 games due to COVID-19 . 12 July 2021 . Central News Agency . 17 May 2021.
  13. News: Hsieh . Ching-wen . Liu . Kay . CORONAVIRUS/Professional baseball league further delays resumption of games . 12 July 2021 . Central News Agency . 27 June 2021.
  14. News: Yang . Chi-fang . Yeh . Joseph . Taiwan pro baseball season to resume Tuesday as restrictions eased . 12 July 2021 . Central News Agency . 12 July 2021.
  15. News: Pan . Jason . COVID-19: Baseball to allow more fans as outbreak eases . 10 August 2021 . Taipei Times . 10 August 2021.
  16. News: Yang . Chi-fang . Yeh . Joseph . Taiwan's pro baseball league to allow more fans as outbreak eases . 9 August 2021 . Central News Agency . 9 August 2021.
  17. News: Yang . Chi-fang . Mazzetta . Matthew . Taiwan's baseball team sets record with 156 ceremonial first pitches . 12 July 2021 . Central News Agency . 26 March 2021.
  18. News: https://udn.com/news/story/7001/5362469. zh:中職/史上第10人 獅隊猛威爾投出無安打比賽. zh-t. United Daily News. 蘇志畬. 2021-04-02.
  19. News: https://udn.com/news/story/7001/5388981. zh:中職/布雷克27上27下完封勝 再重來有信心能完全比賽. United Daily News. 藍宗標, 蘇志畬. 2021-04-15. zh-t.
  20. News: Yen . William . Brothers win first Taiwan Series title in 11 years . 1 December 2021 . Central News Agency . 1 December 2021.